Mechanical pile driving hammer

ABSTRACT

This all mechanical hammer is made of two parts: (1) the piston assembly which delivers the blow, (2) an outside frame to lift and guide the piston. There is a lock and trigger release mechanism which locks the piston in the upper part of the outer frame. The only lift line fastens to the outer frame lifts the complete assembly to a desired height. The lock is then hand tripped by an attached rope allowing the piston to fall and strike the pile. With the piston resting on the pile, the outer frame is lowered until the two parts are again locked together and ready for another cycle.

I United States Patent 1191 [111 3,74 Gifford July 3, 1973 [54] MECHANICAL PILE DRIVING HAMMER 869,815 lO/l907 Turlaneric Uglg: :2

3.l35.340 61964 R i7 [76] inventor: Henry A. Gifford, 2105 13:11 St., y I

G l P k, T

a em all ex Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser [22] Filed: Apr. 6, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 131,731 57 ABSTRACT This all mechanical hammer is made of two parts: 1 U-s- Clt v the piston assembly deivers the blow an [51] Int. Cl E02d 7/08 outside frame to and guide the piston There i a 58] Field of Search 173/84, 124 lock and trigger l-e|ease mechanism whieh |eeks the ton in the upper part of the outer frame. The only lift [56] References cned line fastens to the outer frame lifts the complete assem- UNITED STATES PATENTS bly to a desired height. The lock is then hand tripped 110,372 12/1870 Kirkpatrick 173/84 y an attached rope allowing the Piston and 286,816 10/1883 Hiatt strike the pile. With the piston resting on the pile. the 350,223 10/1886 Von Der Wulbeike 173/84 X outer frame is lowered until the two parts are again 500,138 6/1893 Ketcham 173/84 X locked together and ready for another cycle. 553,002 H1896 Ketcham..... 715,177 12/1902 Thomas 173/84 X 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJUL3 I975 SHEEI 1 0f 2 INVENTOR. flew/y A Gf/fara MECHANICAL PILE DRIVING HAMMER I believe this mechanical pile hammer to be something new, and that it will prove profitable on jobs too small to afford the more expensive equipment. Its simple but rugged construction will be economical to manufacture and maintain. It can be used with any equipment capable of raising it to the desired height, such as hydraulic cranes, boom trucks, gin poles, and front loaders. Only one line and no live drum is necessary.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows the view of the complete unit with the piston raised in locked position. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the trigger and trip rope. FIG. 3 is a cutaway top view showing the rollers in a locked position in relation to the trigger. FIG. 4 shows the complete unit with the piston at rest on the pile. FIG. 5 is a view of the locking assembly only.

This hammer is composed of three separate parts: I the piston assembly which delivers the blow, 2 the outside assembly to which the only lift line is attached, and 3 the follow block which remains on the pile.

To describe the working of the hammer: let us start with FIG. 4 where the piston is at rest on the follow block 11 which sits on top of the pile 12. First the outer frame 13 is lowered by a cable attached to ring 14, as the outer frame is lowered the two rollers 15a,b roll into slots 16 in the outer frame.

FIG. 1 shows the rollers 15a,b in their slots and the two arms l7a,b have dropped into a toggle position locking the piston 10 in the outer frame 13.

And it should be noted that the trigger FIG. 2 was brought into place also as the outer frame 13 lowered with the trigger 20 riding out on the piston 10 to come into its position.

In FIG. 2 the trigger 20 can be seen with the point set under bolt 19. In FIG. 5 we can see how bolt 19 holds the two arms 17a,b together in the center.

The complete hammer is lifted for the blow leaving some distance between stops l8 and follow block 11. Follow block 11 has remained on top of the pile.

As in FIG. 2 to drop the piston 10 trigger 20 is raised by a hand pull on rope 21 raising the arms l7a,b from their locked position allowing the rollers 15a,b to come out of the slots and the piston to fall. This completes the cycle.

If pile is to be driven flush with the ground or other objects, a short pile or piece equal to the stroke of piston is used on top of the driven pile.

I plan to use one such hammer building private piers, bulk heads, retainer walls and shoreing for ditches etc....

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pile driving hammer comprising a follow block adapted to rest on a pile, an impact piston to impact said follow block, an outer frame having lifting means attached thereto, means to connect said frame to said piston for lifting said piston and releasable to permit guided free fall of said piston composed of, slots on 0pposite sides of said frame, a pair of outwardly extending arms pivotally connected to said piston, engaging means mounted on the outer end of each arm normally extending into said slots, linkage attached to said engaging means for pivoting said arms inwardly to retract said engaging means from said slots, and a selectively operable trigger mounted on said frame to actuate said linkage.

2. The pile driving hammer of claim 1 in which said engaging means comprises roller means.

3. The pile driving hammer of claim 1 in which said linkage comprises a pair of links joined by a central pivot and pivotally connected at their opposite ends to said engaging means, the central pivot resting on said piston and said links being in a lower overcenter position when the engaging means extend into said slots.

4. The pile driving hammer of claim 3 in which said central pivot is lifted by said trigger to an upper overcenter position of said links to retract said engaging means from said slots. 

1. A pile driving hammer comprising a follow block adapted to rest on a pile, an impact piston to impact said follow block, an outer frame having lifting means attached thereto, means to conneCt said frame to said piston for lifting said piston and releasable to permit guided free fall of said piston composed of, slots on opposite sides of said frame, a pair of outwardly extending arms pivotally connected to said piston, engaging means mounted on the outer end of each arm normally extending into said slots, linkage attached to said engaging means for pivoting said arms inwardly to retract said engaging means from said slots, and a selectively operable trigger mounted on said frame to actuate said linkage.
 2. The pile driving hammer of claim 1 in which said engaging means comprises roller means.
 3. The pile driving hammer of claim 1 in which said linkage comprises a pair of links joined by a central pivot and pivotally connected at their opposite ends to said engaging means, the central pivot resting on said piston and said links being in a lower overcenter position when the engaging means extend into said slots.
 4. The pile driving hammer of claim 3 in which said central pivot is lifted by said trigger to an upper overcenter position of said links to retract said engaging means from said slots. 